Magazine container for automatic fire arms



July 24, 1962 MQSLE MAGAZINE CONTAINER FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE ARMS Filed Feb. 11, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 WVENTOR ER N-ST M O SLE J y 24, 1952 E. MOSLE 3,045,553

MAGAZINE CONTAINER FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE ARMS Filed Feb. 11, 1960 E 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1962 E. MOSLE 3,045,553

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y 1962 E. MGSLE MAGAZINE CONTAINER FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE ARMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 11, 1960 IN VEN TOR ERNST Mb'sLs United States Patent ()filice 3,M5,553 Patented July 24, 1952 3,045,553 MAGAZINE CONTER FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE ARMS Ernst Miisle, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Machine Tool Works Oerlikon, Administration (Iompany, Zurich-Derllkon, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Filed Feb. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 8,075 Claims priority, application Switzerland Feb. 13, 1959 12 laims. (Cl. 89-33) The present invention relates to a magazine container for automatic fire arms, wherein sets of cartridges combined in loading clips are inserted in mutually superimposed layers, the set of cartridges which at any time is the lowest, resting on a bottom face, while a conveyor device is provided, which pushes the individual loading clips in the direction of insertion down to the bottom face.

In known magazine containers of this kind the cartridge holders, after having the individual cartridges stripped off, are expelled transversely of the direction of insertion, which leads to unfavourable .design solutions. According to another proposal the cartridge holders are designed as plates and are not positively expelled after having been emptied, which leads to inadequacies with modern fire arms having a high rate of fire.

The invention has the main object of providing a magazine container from which the said loading clips are discharged positively and at a constant rate.

With this and other objects in view which will become apparent later from this specification and the accompanying drawings I provide a magazine container for automatic firearms containing cartridges having projectiles and loading clips, the said cartridges with projectiles being combined into sets of cartridges in the said loading clips, and the said sets of cartridges being inserted in the said magazine container in mutually superimposed layers, comprising in combination: a first means having a bottom surface on which the said loading clips rest, conveyor means pushing the said loading clips individually in the direction of their insertion right down to the said bottom face, the said first means moving the said loading clips along in the same direction and at the same velocity as the said conveyor means and releasing the said loading clips for their being expelled, and second means for stripping the said cartridges with projectiles off the said loading clips, the said second means stripping oif the said cartridges with projectiles, while the said first transport means carries along the said loading clips.

These and other features of my said invention will be clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a twin gun provided with a magazine container according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows the end of a loading clip, partly in elevation and partly in section, on a larger scale;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the loading clip according to FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a section of the ammunition container on the lines IV-IV of FIGURES 1 and 5;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the magazine container;

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line VIVI of FIG- URE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an elevation of the conveyor device for the loading clips, viewed in the direction of the arrows from a plane VIIVII of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a section on the line VIII--VIII of FIG- URE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a section on the line IXIX of FIGURE 7 on a larger scale;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the transport device with a second embodiment of the conveyor device.

According to FIGURE 1 a twin gun is mounted on a platform 2 pivotally journalled on a base 1. Two side shields 3 fixed to the platform carry a bearing ring 4, into which a rotary ring 5 is inserted, to which the cradle 6 and the magazine container 8 for the ammunition are attached. The axis of rotation of the ring 5 forming the elevation laying axis of the gun intersects the produced axis of the barrel of the weapon.

In guides 7 connected to the cradle two automatic fire arms 9 are mounted, to each of which a box-shaped magazine container 8 is associated, designed for taking in sets of cartridges, which are held in loading clips L (see FlG- URES 5 and 6). A loading clip as illustrated in FIG- URES 2 and 3 consists of a strip of sheet metal 11, the two longitudinal margins of which are turned up in such a manner that they form two longitudinal grooves 12, the width of which corresponds to the height of the extraction rims 17 of the cartridges 16. The middle portion of the strip is profiled outwardly as a U-shaped rib 13 reaching over the entire length. On both ends of the loading clip L guide rollers 14 are mounted, the axes of rotation of which lie parallel to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the strip. The cartridges 16 forming one set are pushed with their ejection rims 17 into the grooves 12. Thereby the cartridges are held in such a manner that they are movable in the longitudinal direction only. A pawl 15 mounted on each end of the clip prevents such a movement during transport and restrains the cartridges from falling out of the clip.

In the rear corners of the insertion aperture 18 for the sets of cartridges, which is cut out on the top of the magazine container 8 (see FIGURES 4, 5 and 6), U-profile rails 19 are attached, which extend right down to the bottom of the container. According to FIGURE 7, in a bearing bracket 26 resting on the bottom of the container and connected to the rear wall thereof two guide helices 21 are journalled, which form part of the transport device for the leading clips and are provided with helical faces 22 of even helical pitch, but of opposite thread. On the stub shafts of the helices, helical gears 23 are machined. Above and between the two guide helices the conveyor device for the loading clips is arranged. In two pawl carriers 24 and 25 pawls 26 are inserted at intervals corresponding to the width of the loading clips L (see FIGURES 6 and 9) and are pivotally mounted on axle pins 27. The pawls are subject to the bias of springs 28 abutting the pawl carriers 24 and 25. The pawl carriers 24, 25 are slidably mounted in a guide member fixed to hearing bracket 26 and to the top of the container 8 which is formed by two side rails 29 and a middle rail 36, connected to one another by transverse ribs 31.

To the lower ends of the two pawl carriers 24, 25 toothed racks 32 are attached which are in mesh with a gear pinion 34 journalled on the axle 33, which is fixed to the middle rail 30 (FIGURE 9). In the pawl carrier 25 moreover (FIGURE 6) a pin 35 is fixed which engages with its head into a control groove 38 of a cam disc 36. The control groove 33 is composed of two curve branches machined symmetrically to the connecting line between the pin center and the axis of rotation of a driving gear 37 which is connected to the cam disc. During half a revolution of the gear 37 and of the cam disc the pawl carrier 25 driven by the pin 35 is moved a distance corresponding to the spacing of the pawls in one direction of stroke, while the other pawl carrier 24 is driven by the gear pinion 34 in the opposite direction. The two parts of the transport device for the loading clips, namely the conveyor device and the guide helices 21, are driven from a shaft 39. Two helical gears 41 (FIGURE 8) mesh with the helical gears 23 on the shafts of the guide helices (FIGURE 7), while the bevel gear 4-8 (FIGURE 7) meshes with an opposite bevel gear 42, which is connected to a spur gear 43 rotating on axle 44. This spur gear 43 drives the gear 37 of the cam disc through intermediate gears 45, 46 and 47 journalled on axles fixed to the rear wall of the casing. The transmission ratios are so chosen, that the guide helices, the helical faces 22 of which have a helical pitch equal to the spacing of the pawls, turn once for each half revolution of the cam disc, while the pawl carriers 24 and move from one extreme position to the other.

In the bearing brackets 49, which are fixedly attached to the container 8, two control helices 51 are rotatably mounted. Their helical faces 52 have opposite threads while their helical pitch corresponds to that of the guide helices 21. On outriggers 50 of the bearing brackets abut two springs 53 on which rest a substantially rectangularly shaped table 54.

At each end of the forward edge of the table two rollers 55 are journalled which serve for guiding the table in its vertical movement by engaging into rails 57 mounted on both sides of the control helices. To the forward longitudinal edge of the table moreover two lugs 56 are connected which under the bias of the springs 53 acting on the table are forced against the underside of the threads of the helices 51. On the ends 51a of the shafts bevel gears 58 are keyed which mesh with bevel gears 69 (FIGURE 5) of the driving shaft 59 in such a manner that the helices 51 turn in opposite senses.

The two drive shafts 39 and 59 are driven from a main shaft 62 through pairs of bevel gears and 61. A spring accumulator 63, the energy content of which is currently replenished by an electric motor 64 working intermittently during the firing serves as the driving motor for the main shaft 62.

Between the transport device for the loading clip and the movable table 54 the device for stripping off the cartridges from the loading clip L is arranged (FIGURE 4). On the bottom of the container two brackets 65 are fixed which form the journals for two shafts 87, on each of which a driving gear 66 and a sprocket wheel 67 are keyed. The driving gears are in mesh with gears 68 keyed to the main shaft 62. On two further brackets 69 axles are fixed on which deflector rollers 70 for two stripper chains 71 are journalled, which consist of endless link chains driven by the sprocket wheels 67. Two of the links of each of these chains are provided with gripper hooks 72. The stripper chains pulling these gripper hooks towards the sprocket wheels 67 are inclined relative to the loading clips contained in the container an angle determined by the resultant direction of movement resulting on the one hand from the movement of the loading strips and on the other hand from the movement of the cartridges in the loading clip undergoing the stripping.

On the circular plate 73 forming part of the side wall of the magazine container two bearing shields 74 are mounted jutting out towards the interior of the container. In them a shaft 75 is journalled, to which two sprocket wheels 76 and moreover a driving gear 77 are keyed, which meshes with a gear 78 keyed to the main shaft 62. By the two sprocket wheels a pair of endless link chains is driven which are passed over deflector rollers 79 journalled on axles 80 connected to the bearing shields. Every second link of the chains 81 forming this elevator is provided with a gripper hook 82 protruding outwardly. The elevator projects partly from the container through an aperture of the plate 73. A further aperture 83 (FIG- URE 6) is designed for the passage of the cartridges which are moved by the chains 81 of the elevator along the guide sheet metal pieces 84, 85 fixed to the plate 73 towards the weapon, the entry duct of which does not take part in the recoil movement of the weapon.

From this structure of the magazine container follows its manner of functioning:

The loading clips L filled for example each with seven cartridges are inserted into the container through the entrance opening 18 in such a manner that the rollers 14 engage into the guide grooves of the rails 19. The insertion of the loading clips is facilitated by the two enlargements 18a, 18b of the entrance opening. The loading clips may be inserted continually even during the firing and either drop down by their own weight or they may be pushed by hand into the container at higher elevation angles of the gun, until they either rest with the longitudinal rib 13 on the helical faces 22 of the guide helices 21 or with their rounded longitudinal edges abut loading clips previously inserted. By the loading clips being guided in the rails 19 the sets of cartridges are held in planes directed perpendicular to them. The longitudinal ribs 13 of the loading clips moving downward away from the entrance point 18 when filling the container, force the pawls 26 temporarily out of their path, whereafter the latter are released again and swing under the bias of their springs 28 into the transport and locking position, in which viewed in the direction of movement of the loading clips they lie with their working surfaces behind the longitudinal ribs 13 thereof.

The loading clip denoted L in FIGURES 4 and 6 has reached the position in which stripping oif the cartridges begins. It rests with the underside of its longitudinal rib 13 on the start of the helical face 22 of the guide helices 21, while the tips of the projectiles of the set of cartridges contained in it rest on the table 54 and remain guided there during the stripping off movement. The gripper hooks 72 of the two stripper chains 71 lie behind the last cartridge P of the loading clip L Immediately before reaching the stripping off position, that one of the locking pawls 15 of the loading clip securing the set of cartridges which lies nearer to the weapon has been depressed by a device not shown in the drawing, and the set of cartridges has been released for being stripped off.

When opening fire the driving of the main shaft simultaneously begins to turn so that then the transporting device 21, 24, 25 for the loading clips, the table 54 for guiding the projectiles, the stripper chains 71 and the elevator chains 81 are positively driven at a uniform rate determined by the firing cadence of the weapon. The whole pile of cartridge sets L L L resting on the rotating helical faces 22 of the guide helices 21 is being moved downward, driven by the series of pawls arranged on the pawl carrier 24. With the same velocity as the loading clip L also the table 54 is moved, the lugs 56 of which are operatively engaged by the helical faces 52 of the control helices 51. By the cartridges resting on the table 54 they are prevented from jamming in the loading clip. During this downward movement the cartridges are consecutively expelled from the loading clip L in the sequence P P P P by the gripper hook 72 of the stripper chains 71 engaging the last cartridge P and are transferred to the elevator in that they are manoeuvered between any two consecutive gripper hooks 82 of the chains 81 in order to be conveyed by them further to the weapon. The point of transfer of the last cartridge P lies lower than that for the first cartridge P owing to the movement of the loading clip while being stripped a stretch of A3 of the Width of clip.

The single-start control helices 51, which turn once during the stripping of one loading clip, release the lugs 56 of the table 54 after the last cartridge has been stripped 01?, so that this table jumps upward under the action of the springs 53 and the lugs abut again the upper start of the threads 52. Simultaneously with the control helices 51 also the guide helices 21 have performed one revolution. The next loading clip L of the pile comes then into contact with the start of the threads of the guide helices 22, and the tips of the projectiles of this new set of cartridges contact the table 54. The drive of the pile of loading clips is then taken over by the other row of pawls arranged on the pawl carrier 25, which during the stripping of the loading clip L had been moved upward a distance corresponding the width of a loading clip. While this second loading clip L is emptied by the action of the stripper chains the empty loading clip L is conveyed downward another helical pitch of the thread by the lowest pawl of the pawl carrier 25 and by the guide helices 21, whereafter it either drops freely out of the container through slot '86 or is pushed out of the same by subsequent empty loading clips.

By a constantly alternating movement such as described of the two pawl carriers 24 and 25, and synchronous rotation of the guide helices 21 the pile of Sets of cartridges is conveyed in a continuous movement at a constant speed towards and through the stripping-oft position, where the cartridges are stripped off and fed to the weapon.

By means of a device not shown in the drawing the pawls may be brought out of engagement with the loading clips, and the sets of cartridges stacked in the container may be lifted out through the entrance opening 18 for the purpose of emptying the container.

FIGURE shows a transport device for the loading clips in which the design of the conveyor device is modified in a single point with respect to the device illustrated in FIGURES 1 to- 9, namely as achain K driven by a sprocket wheel 90 and running over a wheel 91 mounted on an axle 92. The chain is formed of links having a U-shaped profile, which are connected by means of axle pins 95 on both sides by lugs 94. The ends of the axle pins 95 protruding beyond the lugs engage into the interstices of a sprocket Wheel 90 having a double toothing. On a pin 95 of a link 93 a pawl 96 is pivotally mounted, which as in the first embodiment of a conveyor device is subject to the bias of a spring 97 abutting the link. The spacing of the pawls corresponds to the width of the loading clips L, and accordingly also to the helical pitch of the guide helices 21. On the shaft 62, driven in the manner described hereinabove by the bevel gear 40, the sprocket wheel 90 and moreover the two helical gears 41 are keyed which mesh with the helical toothings 23 of the guide helices 21.

The manner of functioning of this conveyor device is briefly as follows: As in the conveyor device explained hereinabove the loading clips containing the cartridges and inserted at the level of the axle 92 into the magazine container are conveyed downward towards the guide helices 21 moving synchronously with the chain, by the pawls 96 of the chain engaging the top faces of the longitudinal ribs 13 thereof. In FIGURE 10 the moment is illustrated, at which a loading clip denoted L has reached the stripping on position and has come to rest with the underside of its longitudinal rib 13 on the helical faces 22 of the two guide helices 21 arranged at both sides of the chain. Since the transmission ratios have been chosen so that the helices 21 perform one revolution while the chain covers a distance corresponding to one spacing of the pawls, a loading clip while being stripped off its cartridges is carried along by the pawls at the same speed as the driving chain K. After having been emptied the loading clip referred to by the character L and yet driven by the chain is firstly carried along by the helices further into the position denoted L whereupon it is released by them and expelled from the magazine container by subsequent empty clips or by the chain.

While I have described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings what may be considered a typical and particularly useful embodiment of my said invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular details and dimensions described and illustrated; for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A magazine container for automatic firearms containing cartridges and loading clips, said cartridges being combined into sets of cartridges in said loading clips, said container having a bottom, said loading clips being inserted in said magazine container in a direction vertically to said bottom to perform a straight movement with a substantially constant velocity in said direction through said magazine container, said container comprising in combination a control means having movable supporting faces to control said movement of said loading clips, power operated conveyor means causing said movement by pushing said loading clips individually to said movable supporting faces, said control means releasing said loading clips after controlling said movement for expelling said loading clips out of said magazine container, driving means interconnecting said power operated conveyer means and said control means to coordinate said control means with said conveyer means and stripping means for stripping said cartridges off said loading clips during said movement of said loading clips.

2. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cartridges have projectiles, said magazine container comprising resilient su port meanssupporting in conjunction with said control means said projectiles, and depressing means in driving connection with said power operated conveyor means and with said resilient support means depressing said resilient support means while said cartridges are stripped ofi said loading clips and subsequently releasing said resilient support means to let the latter jump back.

3. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cartridges have projectiles, said magazine container comprising resilient support means supporting in conjunction with said control means said projectiles, and depressing means in driving connection with said power operated conveyor means and with said resilient support means depressing said resilient support means while said cartridges are stripped oif said loading clips and subsequently releasing said resilient support means to let the latter jump back, and wherein said depressing means includes a transport helix having screw threads, said resilient support means comprising a lug table movable from a starting position to a depressed position and springs biasing said lug table towards said starting position, said screw threads moving said lug table in said direction vertically and at said velocity of said loading clips, said lug table disengaging themselves at said depressed position from said screw threads and jumping back one helical pitch of said screw thread under the bias of said springs. 4. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means is constituted by a guide helix having helical faces forming said movable supporting faces.

5. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cartridges have projectiles, said magazine container comprising resilient support means supporting in conjunction with said control means said projectiles, and depressing means in driving connection with said power operated conveyer means and with said resilient support means depressing said resilient support means while said cartridges are being stripped off said loading clips and subsequently releasing said resilent support means to let the latter jump back.

6. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 5, wherein said depressing means includes a transport helix having screw threads, said resilient support means comprising a lug table movable from a starting position to a depressed position and springs biasing said lug table towards said starting position, said screw threads moving said lug table in said direction vertically and at said velocity of said loading clips, said lug table disengaging themselves at said depressed position from said screw threads and jumping back one helical pitch of said screw threads under the bias of said springs.

7. A magazine container for automatic firearms containing cartridges and loading clips, said cartridges being combined into sets of cartridges in said loading clips, said container having a bottom, said loading clips being inserted in said magazine container in a direction vertically to said bottom to perform a straight movement with a substantially constant velocity in said direction through said magazine container, and said sets of cartridges being inserted and being moved along in said magazine container in mutually superimposed parallel layers rectangular to said direction, said magazine container comprising in combination a power operated moving means having movable supporting faces on which said loading clips rest, said moving means moving said loading clips along in said direction and releasing said loading clips for being expelled, stripping means arranged in a working direction oblique to said layers for stripping said cartridges ofi said loading clips while said moving means moves said loading clips along, movable receiving means to receive said cartridges from said stripping means and driving means interconnecting said receiving means, said stripping means and said power operated moving means coordinating said receiving means with said stripping means and said stripping means with said moving means.

8. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 7, wherein said cartridges have projec tiles, said magazine container comprising a guide helix having helical faces constituting said moving means, the movable supporting faces of which consists of said helical faces and comprising resilient support means supporting in conjunction with said moving means said projectiles, and depressing means in driving connection with said power operated moving means and with said resilient support means depressing said resilient support means while said cartridges are stripped oil said loading clips and subsequently releasing said resilient support means to jump back wherein said depressing means includes a transport helix having screw threads, said resilient support means comprising a lug table movable from a starting position to a depressed position and springs biasing said lug table towards said starting position, said screw threads moving said lug table in said direction vertically and at the said velocity of said loading clips, said lug table disengaging at said depressed position from said screw threads and jumping back one helical pitch of said screw threads under the bias of said springs.

9. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 7, wherein said cartridges have projectiles, said magazine container comprising resilient support means supporting in conjunction with said moving means said projectiles and depressing means in driving connection with said power operated moving means and with said resilient support means depressing said resilient support means while said cartridges are being stripped oif said loading clips and subsequently releasing said resilient support means to let the latter jump back.

10. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 7, wherein said moving means contains a guide helix having helical faces forming said movable supporting faces.

11. A magazine container for automatic firearms as claimed in claim 10, wherein said cartridges have projectiles, said magazine container comprising resilient support means supporting in conjunction with said moving means said projectiles, and depressing means in driving connection with said power operated moving means and with said resilient support means depressing said resilient support means while said cartridges are stripped off said loading clips and subsequently releasing said resilient support means to let the latter jump back.

12. In a cartridge magazine system a container having an upper wall with an opening, cartridge clips and cartridges to be pushed in said clips, said clips comprising in combination a longitudinal strip with ends and two longitudinal margins which margins are turned up to form longitudinal grooves for taking said cartridges, said strips being outwardly profiled to form a U-shaped rib, and pawls mounted on each of said ends of said strips to restrain said cartridges, said clips with said cartridges being inserted in said container through said opening, said container comprising in combination a straight track and a clip conveyer means with resilient notches to transport said clips on said track through said container by means of said notches engaging said ribs, release means adjacent said track to release said pawls while said clips are transported and stripping means adjacent said track to strip said cartridges from said clips after said pawls are released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,741 Lisov Nov. 21, 1939 2,528,945 Carpenter Nov. 7, 1950 2,926,568 Neder Mar. 1, 1960 

